Prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, it was assumed that the Buffalo Bills would draft Ryan Nassib with their first pick. The team was in search of another quarterback to add to the roster that already contained Kevin Kolb. Nassib and Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone were already very familiar with each other after their time together at Syracuse. It seemed like the perfect. However, the Bills selected E.J. Manuel over Nassib, something Nassib said really hurt him.
Peter King of SI.com reports that Nassib was "wounded" after the Bills passed over him for Manuel. Nassib ended up getting drafted by the New York Giants in a later round which is not a bad consolation prize. It is understandable that Nassib would feel disappointed; he did play a large part in the rise of Marrone and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The better Nassib continued to play during the 2012 season, the better those two looked in the eyes of the NFL. It made sense they would consider kicking off a new era in Buffalo with the quarterback that helped them get there.
Buffalo decided on Manuel, a quarterback that will likely help transition their offense into more of a read-option style. Manuel possesses the skillset to allow the Bills to take part in the recent trend in the NFL.
Marrone said the team went through an extensive scouting process and they felt Manuel had what they wanted in a quarterback and would be able to run the system they intended on bringing in. He admitted that passing up on Nassib did bother him.
"In another sense, you're hurting about Ryan. And it did hurt...It was very difficult after what we did together. It hurts. It definitely hurts. He's a special kid. Unbelievable worker. So smart. Very, very good quarterback with all the intangibles. He will win games in this league," Marrone said.
Marrone said it was his responsibility to get the best player available to the team and he felt Manuel was the best option. So Manuel goes to Buffalo with a chance to compete for the starting role and Nassib will head to New York to sit behind Manning. His only chance at seeing the field is during the preseason or if Manning goes down with injury.
